News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-09-29
A WILD WESTERN YARN.
COL. DUVAL'S BIG WINNING.
The Victim Stole it from his Father,
and the Gambler Won 1t.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer. !

time, and then asked If any of the party
had ever heard him tell of his trip from
New Orleans to Matamoras. Being re-
quested to tell his experience, he said:
sit was during the war, | thought [
would make trip over into Mexico. So
| packed up my tools and took passage
on a bark-rigged vessel, which was also
u screw-steamer. Well, there were
about forty passengers on board, and
we had a pleasant time for the first two
days out to sea, but on the third day
there came on a storm which tore the
sails into strings, and the sailors could
not stay on deck without holding on to
the chains or some of the clover riggings.
1t so happened that when the storm got
started that [ was upon deck 1 had
been up all night playing poker with the
Captain and purser. l saw at q glance
that [ could not get down into the cabin,
so laid fla down on deck and got hold
of coil of chain, and there I lay, ex-
pecting every moment that the vessel
wonld turn bottom side up. It so hap
pened that there was a young man from
New York on board, who was going
over on business. His father was very
rich man in New York, and when he got
! to New Orleans and showed letters from
his father, some member of a rich firm
in New Orleans gave him a package of
| 80, 900 to be delivered in Brownsville,
Texas. 1t happened that he was also
on deck at the time of danger, and after
tbs storm abated he came down into the
cabin and said:
Gentlemen, [ am n ruined man.
"'How so?' asked some one of the
passengers.
"'Well, said he, 4 had twelve 81 900
bills in an envelope intrusted to my
care, and [ had it in my inside coat
pocket. and the wind blew my coat over
my head, and | saw the package go into
the Gulf
"Well, we all felt sorry for him., said
George. ''He said that his father would
have to pay every dollar of the money,
friends of his father A poker game was
! kept up until we reached Bagdad, and
the result was that myself and partner
got away with about 81, 300; but the old
Captain said he had played poker for
fifty years and never played in such hard
luck. We got on lighter and were
! for Brownsville. The Captain and pur-
ser were in the party. We had not been
| there long before dinner was ready, so |
was very hungry, and [ sat down, and
had just got fairly at work when in come
a squad of soldiers, and the Captain of
the squad called ont for me. / must
admit that felt little ticklish, but [
raised up from the table and said that
DuvaI was my name. He said: The
General wants you. Fall into line SO
7 1 Ho1
their muskets pointing at me until we
arrived at the Provost Marshals office.
The Captain of the vessel and purser
and several of the passengers were also
summoned there as witnesses. The
General knew me, I having met him in
Dubuque, Iowa, several years previous.
He said to me: Duval, you must give
back that So, 900 You won from that
:" General [ said, 4 played no cards
with that man, and / did not win one
dollar from him.
"He then summoned the witnesses,
who all told the same story-that the
man never played a card on the trip
over. I was honorably discharged.
That night we made up party to go over
into Matamoras and have q little fun.
Who should one of the party be but the
Young New Yorker. We commenced
drinking wine and fine fancy brandy.
Finally we left the saloon and went over
to gambling house. 1t was very fine
one. [ looked around the table a min
rte and then my eye caught ON to q New
Orleans man who was playing thirty
six roulette wheel. | shook hands with
him, and he turned to a fine-looking
Mexican and said:
General, this is Mr.. Duval from
New Orleans: Gen. COrtenius.
"tMr. Duval, I am happy to know
you, said the General.
$50 the game went ON, and [ saw the
General was a high roller. He bet
SIS, 900 on one turn on the cOlors
thought 1 would play little, as felt
happy over the wine and brandy; so /
took out hundred-dollar bill and laid
it down ON the black. as it had come red
three times previous. 1t won. L left it
lay, and it came black again; so just
picked up my money and turned around
and said: well, boys, see you are not
going to play. Let's go back to the sa-
LOOM Going over to the saloon my
little New Yorker got hold of my arm
and said to me that he wished he could
gamble like me. He said that if |
played again he would like to stand in
with me. That struck me as being all
right. 1 saw that the liquor had com
menced to work on him, so l said all
right. We went over to the saloon and
got few more drinks, and l made
proposition that I would go over to the
gambling house and make another play.
All agreed to go, so over We went.
When we got inside the house the New
Yorker pulled me to one side and askc d.:
"'How much money are you going to
risk?'
"'About 50, 00O,' answered
''He was by that time pretty full, and
took out of his pocket a brand-new
81, 900 note and slipped it to me- / was
too smart to take it, and called one of
the proprietOrs to one side and asked
him to give my friend some small money
for the 81, 900 bill. He did so. You
that he said were lost at sea were new
and hadn't been rumpled. | made a
bet of 800 and lost it. Then | bet $500
and won. [ played for about ten min
utes, and quit 5000 winner. / gave him
half of the winnings and his money he
put up for the stake, and we went out
to have some fun; but | stuck to my
boy, as | knew where the $4,000 was
and determined to have it. He thought
| was the smartest man in the world,
and had great confidence in me- We
went over to Brownsville toward morn
ing. We went to bed and had good
sleep. and were ready for the next night
Well, posted my partner as to what [
had in view. l told him not to notice
me. and not to come where l was until
supper that night 1 said to my York
friend:
Il do wish that | could find some
one who would play poker with me, as [
thought it was like finding money for
me to get game.
" 80 L think, said he, 'and, Duval, if
you do get up a game l want to be part
ners with you.
"sAll right, my boy, you shall not get
left, replied.
eve did not gamble that night at the
wheel, but the next day | suggested to
him that we go down to Bagdad and see
if we could get mp game of poker. He
was willing, and paid my bill, but left
my yalise and roulette wheel, and told
my partner to come down on the follow
ing day and bring the things. He came.
There was only one hotel in the place.
The New Yorker recognized my friend.
and said to me after supper:
"'Do you recollect the man who
played with You and the purser coming
OverE